Verified Internship Program
The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association is committed to creating an exceptional internship experience that will streamline different offerings in the state of Virginia and provide the opportunities for students to take their education to the next level. It is our goal that the internships be crafted with specific criteria to produce workers that will exceed excellence as well as showcase Virginia as a great place to work within the restaurant, lodging, and travel industry.
Criteria to Join:Â
- Business must be a member of VRLTA
- Must be a paid internship
- Internship must last 300+ hours
- Offer 20 hours of educational programming
- Twice-monthly meetings and evaluations
- End of internship interview and evaulation
Program Information:
For your internship to be accepted into VRLTA's Verified Internship Program, it muse meet the following criteria:
- Your business must be a VRLTA member in good standing
- The internship must be a paid opportunity
- The duration of the internship must exceed at least 300 hours
- A university may require your intern to work additional hours
- Your business must offer 20 hours of educational programming during the course of the internship
- Rotating between departments
- Sitting in on internviews
- Interview practice with their supervisor
- Project collaboration
- Meeting with directors
- The intern is requires to meet with a supervisor at least twice monthly and submit an evaluation form to VRLTA
- Gather feedback on how the internship is going
- See what they're learning, and what they'd like to learn
- Conduct an end of internship interview and program evaluation
- Gain feedback to see what made your program great and what can be improved upon
- Companies must submit evaluation to VRLTA within a month of program completion
Step 1: Define the Objective
- Clearly identify your ‘why’ for establishing an internship program.
What specific goals do you want to achieve? Examples might include building a talent pipeline, gaining fresh perspectives, or completing specific projects. - How can your business benefit from an intern’s contributions?
- Conversely, consider what value your program will provide to interns, such as skill development, hands-on experience, or industry insights.
Step 2: Set Goals and Communicate the Plan
- Develop a program outline that includes:
- Measurable goals for the intern and the organization.
- A detailed description of the intern’s role, expectations, and deliverables.
- Defined learning objectives for the intern, such as mastering new tools or gaining industry-specific knowledge.
- Share this outline with all key stakeholders in your organization to ensure alignment and clarity.
Step 3: Appoint a Program Supervisor
- Assign a dedicated individual to oversee the program. This person will:
- Track the intern’s successes and challenges.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the intern.
- Ensure program goals are met.
- Schedule regular check-ins to discuss:
- What the intern is learning.
- The projects they’re assisting with.
- Any potential problem areas or support they may need.
Step 4: Structure the Program
- Decide on the length of the internship. Common durations include:
- Semester-based (10-16 weeks).
- Summer (8-12 weeks).
- Flexible (project-based or tailored to individual availability).
- Partner with local universities, career services, and faculty members to build strong relationships. Professors can be invaluable allies in promoting your internship and identifying top candidates.
By investing time and resources into creating a structured, mutually beneficial internship program, your organization can cultivate future leaders while gaining meaningful contributions to your business operations.
1. Understand Your Intern’s Goals
- Learn about their career aspirations during the onboarding process.
- Pair them with a mentor who aligns with their interests and can guide their development.
2. Offer Holistic Opportunities
- Encourage involvement in various aspects of your business. This exposure allows interns to:
- Explore different career pathways.
- Build a diverse skill set.
- Network with team members across departments.
3. Attract the Right Talent
- Identify the type of intern you want and tailor your application and interview process to attract them.
- Highlight unique aspects of your business culture.
- Include questions that assess passion, creativity, and alignment with your values.
4. Pay Your Intern
- Compensate interns for their time and efforts, even if it’s minimum wage. Paid internships:
- Attract more motivated and diverse candidates.
- Reflect positively on your organization’s commitment to valuing contributions.
You’ve been approved as a VRLTA VIP, now what?
Designate Your Internship Supervisor
The internship supervisor doesn’t need to be the Director of HR and they don’t need to be the intern(s) direct boss. This person does need to have the skills and personality to lead your intern(s).
Hours
We require you provide your intern at least 300 hours to be considered for our VIP program. However, students may require more hours based off their school’s internship curriculum. You are expected to work with your intern and increase the hours as needed, but to not offer any less than 300hours.
Plan for Meetings and Surveys
Once you nail down who will be overseeing your intern(s), plan what days/times work best for that person to block off some time to meet with them. These days/times may change due to unforeseen workload, but even a small amount of planning can set this person up for success to ensure these meetings are happening.
Brainstorm Educational Programming
Have a sit down with your team and see what educational opportunities are feasible. You are required to offer 20hours throughout the duration of the internship. The goal of these hours is to give opportunities for the intern(s) to see different aspects of the business and help them grow as professionals. Examples of these opportunities are... Department rotations Working on an event Sitting in on interviews Meeting with directors Working on interview practice with superior Planning ahead allows your team time to prepare and give the best and most educational experience to your intern(s).
Yes, every business must reapply for VIP status.
What is the re-verification process?
After you complete your first year as a VIP, every business must reapply for VIP status. You are required to re-apply before October 1st. Once we receive your new application to reverify, we will look over yours and your intern’s monthly and end of internship survey submissions. This is why it is critical to submit your surveys and give your intern(s) the opportunity to submit theirs, and provide as much detail as possible! If we determine that you adhered to the criteria and provided your intern a well rounded experience, you’ll be notified that your VIP status has been renewed.
How often do we reapply?
Every business will continue the re-verification process for the first three years. After three successful years as a VIP, you will be in good standing to continue for an additional three years without having to reverify!
What if we don’t receive VIP status?
Should you be denied VIP status, we will reach out to you and share feedback as to why. We’ll work with you and offer help as to what needs to change to become a VIP. You’ll be allowed to reapply with these changes.
That's the easiest one yet! Just click the link below to be taken to our Verified Internship Program Resource Library to find everything you need to succeed.
